Lady De-Clutter and New Puppy give the new Rugrats audience life lessons…
For our review and breakdown for Episode 1 – Second Time Around.
The Rugrats revival begins following the split segment format a homage to the original show this episode. In 2a, we meet Lady De-Clutter, a personal organiser (think Marie Kondo) who turns out to be a con artist. During 2b, Tommy fears that his parents are trying to replace the family dog, Spike after they foster a new puppy which is eventually adopted by the Carmichaels.
As of this review, we’re going to be split it in two for each segment. So, let’s begin with ‘Lady De-Clutter.’
2a – Lady De-Clutter
Didi becomes overly excited when her idol, Lady De-Clutter calls her and wants to help to clean up the house. While Stu is somewhat uninterested, he says as long as the woman doesn’t take his video games away, he’s happy. However, Tommy, who overhears the conversation, thinks the ‘bossy lady’ as Lil refers to her, believes she is going to take away his toys. With help from his friends, he hides them.
Betty, who has dropped the twins off to join Tommy and Chuckie is excited too but Lady De-Clutter isn’t thrilled to have her there. Meanwhile, Randy joins Stu while Susie does the same with the kids. She tells her friends that the same woman de-cluttered her house and took her doll.
Lady De-Clutter clears out several items in the kitchen including Tommy’s toy screwdriver. She also takes a keen interest in the shed where Didi runs her business. Betty starts to sense that there’s something sinister when the woman takes the sewing machine and wants the motivational poster on the wall. She then dubs the house de-cluttered when she takes Stu’s video game console which deduces him to tears
Tommy hatches a plan to get his screwdriver back but ends up locked in the boot of the scammer’s car.
When Betty realises Tommy’s missing, Didi and Stu confront her after overhearing Lady De-Clutter through the baby monitor Tommy had taken with him in the van so Chuckie can see what’s going on. She is then arrested for her crimes.
2b – New Puppy
The Pickles and the DeVilles are at a foster event where Tommy and Stu befriend a puppy. Didi tells them not to get too attached as they already have Spike. Betty suggests fostering the little guy until the adoption agency can find him a home.
Despite Didi’s warning to introduce the puppy to Spike slowly, Stu introduces them with full guns blazing.
Spike, however, isn’t happy with the new addition and tries to push Foster away from getting all the attention from the kids.
Tommy, seeing how unhappy Spike is starts crying in the middle of the night and the pup rushes over to him. While Didi understands that they can’t keep Foster forever, Stu seems to love having the little fella around.
In the morning, Tommy tells his friends about the dream he had and what his mother said about only having one dog in the house. He fears that his parents have picked Foster over Spike. That where his new plan comes in. He says they need to make the puppy look like who is doing bad things so Stu and Didi will pick Spike.
The first attempt fails as Stu ‘forgives’ Foster for the pee-pee on the floor, totally unaware it was Chuckie. Attempt number two also ends up fails with Didi making a positive fuss over the puppy’s ‘antics’. Even Grandpa Lou can’t be mad at him. Desperate, the babies go to Angelica for help. She manages to convince Grandpa Lou to write down a ‘poem’ for her which ends up being a letter to Didi trying to convince her to keep Spike.
When the puppy is found by Susie just seconds after the babies make him ‘run away’, Didi and a rather reluctant Stu tell the kids Foster is going to live with the Carmichaels.
Final Opinion
If we’re honest, it would’ve been nice to have full episodes rather than segments. But, it is part of the nostalgic charm of the series.
We liked ‘Lady De-Clutter’ much better and give it:
It teaches the audience to be careful when they invite people who look too good to be true into their homes.
For ‘New Puppy’, we give the segment:
It teaches us to understand that nothing is forever.
